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Trent Reznor has penned an illuminating piece about David Bowie's new album 'The Next Day'.

One of the more pleasing aspects of David Bowie's return has been his embrace by fellow artists. 'The Next Day' has won acclaim from the highest echelons, with the album ranking near the top of those pesky End Of Year polls.

Now Trent Reznor has revealed his thoughts on the LP. Penning a piece for the Hollywood Reporter, the Nine Inch Nails lynchpin explored the singer's career and marvelled at his current rejuvenation.

"When 'The Next Day' came out" he wrote, "I was genuinely surprised -- a new album from Bowie? That's fantastic. I didn't even know it was on the horizon, particularly with the rumors of his health circulating for the last few years. Then I was kind of pissed off because, between finishing an album and going on tour, I didn't have long chunks of time to absorb it. I listened to it while going back and forth to the Valley for Nine Inch Nails rehearsals. It was a puzzle -- it didn't sound like how I thought it might sound. I thought maybe it was a bit conservative sonically. But over several months, it made its way into my playlist on countless bus rides; when I'm sitting alone to listen to music, I reach for' The Next Day'".

"I'm still unraveling the riddle that he presented. I'm still getting new meanings out of the lyrics. What I thought was conservative production now feels forward-thinking. Like any great album, it's revealed itself to be something that wasn't what I initially thought. The marketing, too, felt like a breath of fresh air". Finishing, Trent Reznor wrote: "Bowie is the most important figure to have inspired me. To a kid growing up in rural Pennsylvania, out of reach of college radio and on the wrong side of the Internet -- in isolation -- to see this alien creep in, this larger-than-life character who was smart ... he's been a consistent reference point as somebody who is uncompromising".